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NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--E*TRADE Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: ETFC) today announced results
from the most recent wave of StreetWise, E*TRADE’s quarterly
tracking study of experienced investors. Results underpin the
frustration many Millennials feel as they build their financial
foundation. Top insights include:

They aren’t satisfied financially. Despite their current income
and savings, more than two thirds (69 percent) of Millennials feel
they could be doing better.

It’s affecting their relationships. More than half (53 percent)
of Millennials feel that worrying about finances puts a strain on
their relationships with friends and family.

And their health. Half (50 percent) of Millennials believe
worrying about finances negatively affects their well-being.

Social media and TV may be making it worse. Almost three out of
five Millennials (59 percent) report that images of exaggerated wealth
on social media and television make them feel less successful.

“Millennials arguably have not had the easiest time getting their
financial footing—many came into the workforce during a weak job market
and may be straddled with high levels of student debt,” said Mike
Loewengart, VP, Investment Strategy at E*TRADE Financial. “Compounding
these obstacles is the influence of social media, which seems to be
amplifying anxiety. Exaggerated images of luxury spending and status
often displayed on social sites run counter to the principles of sound
wealth building. One would be hard-pressed to find a social media star
promoting the merits of getting their employer’s 401(k) match, the
purpose of dollar cost averaging, or the advantages of enrolling in an
automated investing plan. But these types of disciplined actions are
exactly what is needed to help create a nest egg.”

Mr. Loewengart offered a few steps young investors may consider as they
build their financial foundation:

Define your goals. Ask yourself, what do you want to save for?
How comfortable are you with risk? When do you need the money? This
will all help define your investing approach.

Try an investing tool. Today there are a great variety of
digital tools and resources to help plan for some of life’s biggest
financial decisions, like buying a house or saving for retirement.

Contribute consistently. One of the biggest factors to reaching
your goals—hands down—is being disciplined about contributions. Try to
avoid emotional investing pitfalls—like timing the market—by focusing
on the long term and sticking to your plan. And the earlier investors
start saving, the better, as time and compound interest can help your
portfolio grow exponentially.

Keep your eyes on the prize. Building and maintaining a
well-diversified, risk-appropriate portfolio for the long term is one
of the most important ways to stay on track to meeting your goals.

E*TRADE aims to enhance the financial independence of traders and
investors through a powerful digital offering and professional guidance.
To learn more about E*TRADE’s trading and investing platforms and tools,
visit etrade.com.

For useful trading and investing insights from E*TRADE, follow the
company on Twitter, @ETRADE.

About the Survey

This wave of the survey was conducted from July 1 to July 10 of 2017
among an online U.S. sample of 959 self-directed active investors who
manage at least $10,000 in an online brokerage account. The survey has a
margin of error of ±3.16 percent at the 95 percent confidence level. It
was fielded and administered by Research Now. The panel is broken into
thirds of active (trade more than once a week), swing (trade less than
once a week but more than once a month), and passive (trade less than
once a month). The panel is 60 percent male and 40 percent female with
an even distribution across online brokerages, geographic regions, and
age bands.

Referenced Data

Despite my current income and savings, I feel I could be doing
better.

AGE

TOTAL

25–34

35–54

55+

Agree (Top 2 Box)

65%

69%

70%

57%

Very much agree

17%

24%

21%

8%

Somewhat agree

48%

45%

49%

49%

Somewhat disagree

26%

24%

25%

30%

Very much disagree

9%

7%

5%

13%

Disagree (Bottom 2 Box)

35%

31%

30%

43%

Worrying about finances negatively affects my relationships.

AGE

TOTAL

25–34

35–54

55+

Agree (Top 2 Box)

37%

53%

38%

19%

Very much agree

9%

13%

7%

4%

Somewhat agree

28%

41%

31%

15%

Somewhat disagree

31%

27%

32%

34%

Very much disagree

32%

20%

30%

47%

Disagree (Bottom 2 Box)

63%

47%

62%

81%

Worrying about finances negatively affects my health.

AGE

TOTAL

25–34

35–54

55+

Agree (Top 2 Box)

36%

50%

38%

18%

Very much agree

8%

14%

5%

4%

Somewhat agree

28%

36%

33%

15%

Somewhat disagree

32%

31%

33%

33%

Very much disagree

32%

20%

30%

49%

Disagree (Bottom 2 Box)

64%

50%

62%

82%

Images of exaggerated wealth seen on social media and
television makes me feel less successful.

AGE

TOTAL

25–34

35–54

55+

Agree (Top 2 Box)

43%

59%

44%

25%

Very much agree

11%

16%

11%

5%

Somewhat agree

32%

43%

32%

21%

Somewhat disagree

27%

24%

29%

29%

Very much disagree

30%

17%

27%

46%

Disagree (Bottom 2 Box)

57%

41%

56%

75%

“Millennials” defined as age 25–34 // “Gen X” defined as age 35–54 //
“Baby Boomers” defined as age 55+

About E*TRADE Financial and Important Notices

E*TRADE Financial and its subsidiaries provide financial services,
including brokerage and banking products, and services to retail
customers. Securities products and services are offered by E*TRADE
Securities LLC (Member FINRA/SIPC). Commodity futures products and
services are offered by E*TRADE Futures LLC (Member NFA). Managed
Account Solutions are offered through E*TRADE Capital Management, LLC, a
Registered Investment Adviser. Bank products and services are offered by
E*TRADE Bank, a Federal savings bank, Member FDIC, or its subsidiaries.
More information is available at www.etrade.com.

The information provided herein is for general informational purposes
only and should not be considered investment advice. Past performance
does not guarantee future results.

Dollar cost averaging does not ensure a profit nor protect against loss
in declining markets.

E*TRADE Financial Corporation and Research Now are separate companies
that are not affiliated. E*TRADE Financial Corporation engages Research
Now to program, field, and tabulate the study.

About Research Now

Research Now Group, Inc. is a global leader in digital research data for
better insights and business decisions. The company provides world-class
research data solutions that enable better decisions and better results
for its 3,000 market research, consulting, media, and corporate clients
through access to over 11 million deeply profiled business professionals
and consumers in more than 40 countries. Research Now operates globally
with locations in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and
Asia-Pacific, and is recognized as the quality, scale, and customer
satisfaction leader in the market research industry. For more
information, please go to www.researchnow.com.